Capital (Marx)

In Marx's view, "Capital" refers to the accumulated wealth used to produce more wealth, especially the machinery, land, and factories (means of production). It also represents the economic resources that workers create but do not fully own or control. Marx argued that capital is a social relation rooted in the exploitation of labor—workers sell their labor power to capitalists who profit by paying less than the value workers produce. Essentially, capital is both physical resources and a system of economic relationships that drive inequality and the pursuit of profit within a capitalist society.